


To Not Be Alone at Christmas

by stormonmyskin



Category: Lewis (TV)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 13:54:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13125093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stormonmyskin/pseuds/stormonmyskin
Summary: James and Robbie both realise they were going to end up spending Christmas alone.





	To Not Be Alone at Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> This isn't finished, but I've been writing it for about 2 years, and if I didn't post it today, it would have to wait til next Christmas. I did think I might try and get it finished this year, but life overtook. So have what I've written so far, and I'll work on it over the festive season.

It was the work Christmas party.

Lord knew it was the last thing they needed after the week they’d had – all Robbie wanted to do was go home to his comfy sofa – but James, his sergeant, had protested that it would be good to replace the memories of a week of murders with those of fun and merriment. Indeed, he seemed to be having fun, for once.

Robbie looked around the pub, at all the Christmas streamers and the tree, the tinsel, the food on the tables, the dancing. James was laughing with Julie Lockhart, and as he watched, he took her hand and pulled her onto the makeshift dancefloor.  
Even Innocent was dancing, with DI Peterson.  
Laura was being entertained quite thoroughly by Franco, her current beau.  
Nobody was paying Robbie the slightest bit of attention. He didn’t even really know most of the officers who were here. The food was cheap, they didn’t have his favourite beer, his feet hurt, and he’d had a bloody hard week.  
Sod it all.  
He was going home.

He was walking home – he’d anticipated having more to drink, so hadn’t driven – hunched up against the bitter cold December evening. His coat wasn’t thick enough, and by the time he got home, not only could he not feel his feet, but his hands, arms, and nose were numb, too.  
He let himself in and shivered in the hallway for a moment, before going and putting the heating on, switching the electric fire on, and going to the kitchen to make a cup of tea to warm himself up.  
The kettle was still boiling when there came a knock on the door.

James turned to make his frequent glance over at Robbie, just to make sure the man was okay. He looked first to where Robbie had been when he last looked, but the man was gone.  
He turned his head the other way, craning his neck, but no, the man was no longer in the room. He frowned, and looked down apologetically at the PC he was currently dancing with. “Excuse me, Julie,” he said. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to go. I enjoyed the dance though. Have a good evening, won’t you?”

Robbie went to the door slowly, wondering who would make the trek to his flat in this weather. But he knew. Of course he knew. There was only one person it could be.  
James Hathaway was leaning against his door frame, huddled against the cold, hands under his armpits. He was shivering.  
“What are ye doing here, man?” Robbie exclaimed. “Get ye in, you’ll freeze out here.”  
James came in gratefully, shed his coat onto one of the hooks, then went and huddled in front of the fire. Robbie fetched a second mug and teabag, and finished the job, carrying the two mugs out when he was done. He passed it to James, who took it gratefully, wrapping his long fingers around it.  
“Thank you, sir,” he smiled, trying to catch Robbie’s eye.  
“What brings you here from the party, then, lad?” Robbie asked.  
“You left,” James said accusingly. “You didn’t even say you were leaving.”  
“Yeah, well…” Robbie prevaricated. “You looked busy enough to me. Didn’t really think anyone would miss me anyway, old bugger like me. How come you noticed I was gone?” Robbie asked with a frown. “Looked like you rather had your hands full when I left.”  
James took a drink and held it in his mouth, giving himself time to think. He would have to be careful not to say anything which gave away the fact he had something of a Robbie-radar.  
“Well,” he said slowly, swallowing. “The dance finished. I thought I would get another drink and went to see if you would like one. You weren’t where I left you, so I looked for you and you’d gone. And then I was anxious about you getting home alright in this weather so I thought I’d come over, just to make sure.”  
Robbie spluttered. “I’m not a doddery old pensioner just yet, lad!”  
_I know you’re not,_ thought James. Aloud, he said, “No, I know. But it’s a cold night. _I_ found the walk uncomfortably cold. And you, with your thin coat…” He gestured behind him at the coat hooks. He settled his head on his hands, his elbows resting on his knees. “Anyway, what’s up, sir? It’s not like you to pass up a chance to have a bit of a jolly.”  
“Ahhh, away wi’ ye,” Robbie grumbled. “I dunno, lad. Just…always harder at this time of year, ye know?”  
“What is?” James asked quietly.  
“Old man’s lot, Jim,” Robbie sighed. “Loneliness is always sharper at this time of year. Ye know, missing Val an’ all that. She used to love Christmas, did Val. Not the same without her. An’ o’ course, wi’ the anniversary, an’ all…rough time o’ year.”  
“I'm sorry,” James murmured, reaching out to lay a hand on Robbie’s back and rubbing reassuringly.  
“Nah, s’not your fault, lad. Thanks, though.”  
There was a pregnant pause. “Are you lonely, s- Robbie?”  
Robbie looked over at him. “Not usually,” he sighed. “But…y’know, Christmas…Lyn and Tim are at Tim’s parents this Christmas. Laura’s all loved up this year. An’ then there’s me.”  
James was appalled. Robbie was on his own this Christmas? _What?_ Why had he not told James? Both of them had been forced to take Christmas off this year, for working the last few Christmases in a row. Robbie hadn’t said anything, so James had assumed Robbie was going up to Manchester.  
“You’re on your own for Christmas?!” he gasped incredulously. “Why didn’t you tell me?”  
“Ahh, what for? You don’t want to spend your first Christmas off in years with an old grumpy sod like me!”  
“I think you shouldn’t presume to know what I want better than I do, sir,” James said quietly.  
“Well, it’s too late now, anyway,” Robbie said with a sigh. “I was planning to bring some cold cases home and spend the day going over them, if you must know.”  
James shook his head firmly. “Not happening. Who do you think I’d be spending my Christmas with, anyway?”  
Robbie shrugged. “None of my business, is it?”  
“Isn’t it? As my Governor, I thought everything I did was your business. Anyway. Forget that. You’re coming to mine for Christmas. Come over after we finish work. We’re not back in til the 29th. You’ll stay the whole time.” James said it before he could second-guess himself, overthink it.  
Robbie blinked at him. “Really?” The way he said the word, full of wonder, like he really wanted to, not like he was questioning James’ sanity for suggesting it.  
“Really. I’ll cook, you bring the drink. I’ve got some decorations back in the flat, we’ll do it properly.”  
Robbie hid his blush in the orange glow of the electric fire. “Thanks, man. That’ll be…really nice.”

 

James was nervous, and sweating. What on earth had possessed him to invite Robbie over for almost a week over Christmas? He’d fetched his box of decorations out of the top shelf of the wardrobe in the spare room last night, and called in at the garden centre on his way home from work to pick up a tree – artificial, because it was last minute and he wasn’t faffing with needles shedding everywhere. They were sat in the corner of his living room, where he’d made a space, and he was writing a shopping list for the supermarket, everything they would need for the length of Robbie’s stay; including Christmas dinner. And James was suddenly doubting his ability to produce a decent roast turkey and all the trimmings. He’d never cooked a Christmas dinner, never had anyone to cook it for. He’d bet his right arm Val had made the most amazing Christmas dinner, and whilst he was sure Robbie would not compare them – aloud, anyway – they were still big shoes to fill.

 

Innocent knocked on the door of their office and headed inside, tutting. “Come on, you two. You’ve done all the reports that need doing before Christmas. Get yourselves out of here.”  
“Ma’am,” Robbie said with a smile, hitting save on the report he was writing and beginning to shut his computer down.  
“Do you have any nice plans, either of you?” Innocent asked, folding her arms as she leant against the doorframe.  
James and Robbie shared a look. “Well, actually, ma’am, we realised the other day that we’d both been planning to spend Christmas on our own, so I invited Robbie over to mine for a few days.”  
“Oh, right. Sounds like fun. Which one of you will be doing the cooking?”  
“That’ll be me, ma’am.” James raised his hand as he stood from his desk.  
“Ah. So if you both call in sick with food poisoning, I know who to blame,” she said, with a smile which told them she didn’t mean it. “Go on, get home. Have a good Christmas, both of you.”

 

James pulled up outside his flat – he’d picked Robbie up that morning – and tried to stop his hands shaking. “Come on then, Robbie. I haven’t decorated yet; I thought we could get a takeaway tonight and do it between us.”  
“Do you have any plans for tomorrow?” Robbie asked as he got his small suitcase out of the back of the car.  
“I thought I would get my presents delivered – just to the rest of the band, you know? I need to go food shopping – I wasn’t expecting company, I didn’t get anything in. And then Christmas telly. I’ll be going to the 7pm mass and the midnight mass, but don’t feel you have to come to either. It’s just that I haven’t been for the last few years and I want to make up for it.”  
Robbie pondered if briefly. “I’ll come to midnight mass, if that’s alright. I’ll stay at home for the 7pm mass and have dinner on the table for when you get back.”  
James looked like he liked that idea. He smiled stupidly at Robbie as he unlocked the door and let them into the flat, flicking the lights on.  
“What takeaway do you fancy?” Robbie called from the spare room where he was stowing his bag, as James headed for his own room to shed his work clothes.  
“Indian?” he shouted back.  
“Jee Saheb?”  
“Yeah – order the usual and I’ll drive up and get it when it’s ready. Lamb jalfrezi.”

It was odd, Robbie thought, seeing James in civvies. His skinny dark jeans and cornflower blue jumper suited him perfectly and it was all Robbie could do not to stare.  
James, in turn, was having difficulty not gawping at his boss. Lewis had switched his work clothes for a soft cotton, dark red, long-sleeve shirt, and dark blue jeans, and he looked so relaxed and at ease in James’ flat, in clothes which he had obviously taken care in choosing…it made James feel warm in places he didn’t know he could.  
Robbie commandeered James’ house phone and reached for the correct menu from the stack in James’ letter rack. Robbie had teased him for getting a letter rack, but it had its uses.

James prepared drinks, plates and cutlery whilst Robbie phoned the order through, then together they assembled the Christmas tree whilst they waited for the food to be ready. James stacked the boxes of decorations against the coffee table, and told Robbie to have a rifle. He didn’t have many decorations, but a few boxes of baubles, some lights and a few strings of tinsel were probably enough, he surmised.

His phone beeped to say the Indian was ready, and so he left Robbie attempting to untangle the lights while he braved the cold weather to nip up the road for the Indian. He nearly slipped on his front steps – the weather stayed bitter since the Christmas party, and the pavements were icy and treacherous.

 

When he returned, Robbie was pacing by the sofa and looking anxious – James’ journey had taken much longer than either of them expected; the roads were like an ice rink, and James had had to drive very slowly. He’d also been held up by a number of accidents, and felt sorry for the two poor sods he’d seen simply skid into each other, unable to do anything about it. Fortunately they’d been going quite slowly, and so no one was hurt, but it was still going to be a while before either of them got home that night.

“Are you alright?” Robbie was on him as soon as he got through the door, stamping snow from his feet and shivering. James turned to shut the door on the icy blast of air trying to invade the warmth of his flat, and pulled his scarf down from his nose and mouth so he could speak.  
“I’m fine, Robbie. I should have rung you, but it’s dangerous enough out there; the roads are completely iced over, it’s like driving on glass. I had to crawl along, and I passed a few accidents, too, which were causing hold ups. I swear if it’s get any colder out there, we won’t be able to go out.”  
Robbie had taken the bag of takeaway from his hands and was putting the foil trays in the oven on a low temperature to warm them up again – they’d lost some of their heat on the longer-than-expected car journey.  
“Glad we’re not on duty,” he commented, immeasurably glad to have James back safe. The trip should have only taken James around 15-20 minutes – when he hadn’t returned after 30 minutes, Robbie had been quite anxious, knowing the temperature would most likely be plummeting. It had been a huge relief to see his car pull up outside and see him come through the door.  
James was smiling at him now. “Not on duty, and we don’t have to go anywhere if we don’t want to.” It was a lovely prospect. No work to drag themselves to, a house full of food and drink – he’d braved the throngs in the big Sainsburys on the edge of town to do his Christmas grocery shop, and his cupboards were now fully stocked. They had a warm flat, oodles of Christmas telly, and good company. For the first time in years and years, James found himself really looking forward to Christmas.

Once the curry was dished up, they settled on the sofa in front of the fire, glad to be inside and not alone. James was terrified of the next few days – of providing Robbie with a good Christmas, and more importantly an edible Christmas dinner – but he was undeniably happy not to be on his own, and mentally patted himself on the back for summoning the courage to invite Robbie over.


End file.
